The present invention relates to a radio telephone. In particular, the invention relates to a radio telephone including a headset with a user actuable switch.
Radio telephones are known to operate with headsets which may be plugged into the handset of the radio telephone to provide a handsfree talking facility. For example, the NOKIA(copyright) 8110 Handportable Cellular Phone available from Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd. may operate using the NOKIA HDXK-8 Headset. This headset is shown in FIG. 1 and includes an in-ear speaker 10, an in-line microphone 11, a lead 12, a crocodile clip 13 for securing the lead 12 to an item of clothing, and a connector 14 for plugging into a jack on the adaptor 15. The adaptor 15 has a connector 16 for connecting the headset to the system connector of a NOKIA 8110 Phone.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved user interface for a radio telephone incorporating a headset.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a portable radio telephone comprising a headset having a user actuable switch and a microphone for receiving voice information from a user, and selection means, responsive to information input by a user via both the switch and the microphone, for selecting one of a plurality of telephone numbers stored in the radio telephone.
A portable telephone in accordance with the invention may have an advantage that it allows a user to select telephone numbers for dialling using the switch and microphone of the headset without having to view a display and/or operate a keypad on the radio telephone handset. A user can thus select and dial telephone numbers conveniently using the headset even when another part of the radiotelephone is out of reach or not easily accessible. Furthermore, a radiotelephone in accordance with the invention may allow a user to select a telephone number and initiate a call in situations where conventional use of a handset would be inconvenient, such as when walking in a busy street.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a portable radio telephone comprising a headset having a user actuable switch and a microphone for receiving voice information from a user, and generating means, responsive to information input by a user via both the switch and the microphone, for generating in the radio telephone information relating to a telephone number.
A portable telephone in accordance with the invention may have an advantage that it allows a user to generate in the telephone information relating to a telephone number using the switch and microphone on the headset without having to operate a keypad or other user input device on a radio telephone handset. A user can thus generate information relating to telephone numbers conveniently using the headset even when another part of the radiotelephone is out of reach or not easily accessible.
A radio telephone in accordance with the first and/or second aspects of the invention may dispense with the conventional keyboard and/or display typically found on a radio telephone handset. Instead, the functions of the keypad and/or display may be provided by the headset.
Ideally, the radio telephone comprises a main body portion, and the selection or generating means may be located in this main body portion.
The headset may comprise a lead for coupling the headset to the main body portion. Ideally, the switch is positioned on this headset lead, with the lead providing the electrical coupling between the switch and the selection or generating means.
The microphone may also be positioned on the lead, with the lead ideally electrically coupling the microphone to the selection or generating means.
Preferably, the lead is detachable from the main body portion. This may allow the headset to be unplugged from the main body portion and stored when not required.
Preferably, the switch is a push button. This may provide the advantage of allowing a user to discreetly and/or repeatedly activate the switch. Other forms of switch could also be used such as a toggle switch or a sliding switch.
Suitably the headset further comprises an earpiece or speaker, allowing a user to perform two-way communication via the headset.
To provide a comfortable and discreet headset, it is possible for the earpiece to be an in-ear style earpiece.
Suitably, the main body portion of the radio telephone contains a transceiver and is in the form of a handset comprising a separate earpiece and microphone.
Preferably, the selection and/or generating means include speech recognition means for recognising speech information input via the microphone. The speech recognition process may decipher words or numbers based on comparisons with speech patterns stored in the radiotelephone. These speech patterns may be embedded in the microprocessors of the telephone during production and/or may be recorded in re-writable memory by a user.
The generating means may generate digits of a telephone number in response to information input by a user via the switch and microphone. Alternatively, the generating means may generate a voice tag for storing in the telephone in association with a telephone number.